Garbage disposal apparatus having bulk material compactor



April 26, 1960 E. A. SCHONROCK 2,934,198

GARBAGE DISPOSAL APPARATUS HAVING BULK MATERIAL COMPACTOR Filed Aug. 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 DEPARTMENT Edwin A. Schonrack INVFNTORJ.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL APPARATUS HAVING BULK MATER IAL COMPACTOR Filed Aug. 9, 1955 April 26, 1960 E. A. SCHONROCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Edwin A. Schanroc/c I IN VEN TOR.

April 26, 1960 E. A. SCHONROCK GARBAGE DISPOSAL APPARATUS HAVING BULK MATERIAL COMPACTOR Filed Aug. 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.5

Edwin A. .Schanrock INVENTOR.

BY (Wavy 3m April 26, 1960 E. A. SCHONROCK GARBAGE DISPOSAL APPARATUS HAVING BULK MATERIAL COMPACTOR Filed Aug. 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Edwin A. Schanrack IN V EN TOR. BY fiumfis adfimyfi% United States Patent GARBAGE DISPOSAL APPARATUS HAVING BULK MATERIAL COMPACTOR Edwin A. Schonrock, San Angelo, Ten.

Application August 9, 1955, Serial No. 527,332

4 Claims. (Cl. 198-128) This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a garbage disposal apparatus having a bulk material compactor and constitutes an improvement over and relates to subject matter generally similar to that of my prior copending applications, Serial No. 477,706, filed December 27, 1954 and Serial No. 507,886, filed May 12, 1955, now Patent No. 2,836,316.

in my prior copending application, Serial No. 477,706, there is disclosed a process and an apparatus for receiving bulk material, such as garbage or the like, as delivered to the compactor by collecting trucks; and discharging the compacted material into a conveying truck for delivcry to a garbage dump or the like. In my further prior copending application, Serial No. 507,886, there is disclosed a truck incorporating therein a bulk material compactor whereby loose material such as garbage or the like may be compacted into the body of the truck as collected by the truck. The present invention relates to a separate material compactor, which may be of a permanently mounted or of a mobile nature, and which is adapted to receive material from collecting trucks, and for compacting the same into a removal truck for subsequent delivery to a dump or the like. The present application, therefore, aims to combine the advantages of my two above set forth applications in that loose material collected by a plurality of collecting trucks may be compacted and stored into a single disposal truck for economical transportation to a dump or the like.

it is therefore a primary purpose of this invention to provide an apparatus and a method whereby loose bulk material as collected by a plurality of collecting trucks may be compacted for more economical handling, and may be discharged in an improved manner into the interior of a disposal truck for hauling to a place of disosal. p A further object of the invention is to provide a bulk material cornpactin apparatus which shall be adapted to receive bulk material discharged at different elevations by collecting trucks and after compacting the material, will discharge at a fixed elevation into a disposal truck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bulk material compactor in accordance with the foregoing objects in which a powerful and positive compacting action may be obtained within a relatively small space; and

.Wherein compacted material is discharged from the apparatus and any possible return of such material to the compacting chamber of the apparatus is particularly prevented.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing the manner in which the bulk material compactor of this invention is conveniently employed as a semi-permanent inr 2,934,198 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 stallation for receiving loose bulk material from collecting trucks, for compacting the same, and for discharging the compacted material into a disposal truck;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section through the construction of the bulk material compactor in accordance with this invention;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the broken section line 33 of Figure 2 and showing the internal mechanism of the bulk material compactor;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view, parts being broken away and shown in vertical section, of the bulk material compactor of Figures 1-3 and the manner in which the same discharges compacted material into the disposal truck;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of mobile bulk material compactor of the type shown in Figures 2 and 3; and

Figures 6-9 are views similar to Figure 2 but illustrating sequential positions following that of Figure 2 in the operation of the compactor unit.

In present day practice, the conventional method of handling loose bulk material such as garbage or the like is relatively expensive in that each material collecting truck in addition to requiring the services of the driver and a crew for the loading of the truck as the latter makes its rounds for collecting garbage or other loose material, also retains the driver and crew as the loaded truck carries its contents to a dump or other disposal place, which is often many miles from the community in which the collection of the material is made. Obviously, the trip after the truck is loaded is waste time as regards the presence of the loading crew. Further, the material is necessarily in a relatively loose or only semicompacted condition, and therefore the actual quantity of material conveyed is relatively small. In the present invention, asin. my above mentioned prior copending applications, there is provided a disposal truck indicated generally by the numeral 10, and which is of sufficient capacity to receive the loads from a considerable number of collection trucks indicated generally by the numeral 12. In addition, the capacity of the disposal truck is further increased by the use of a compacting device, indicated generally by the numeral 14, and which greatly compresses the loads received from the collecting trucks 12 prior to the discharge of the compacted material into the disposal truck 10.

It will thus be seen that by virtue of the compacting of the material by the compactor 14, as well as by the much greater volumetric capacity of the disposal truck 10, the latter may receive the loads of many collection trucks 12 and, requiring the services of only one driver, may economically convey such material to a place of disposal. Thus, the collection trucks are released for collecting purposes whereby a smaller fleet of collecting trucks may be sufiicient for serving a community.

In the arrangement shown in Figure l, the compactor unit 14 is of a semiportable nature and, as illustrated, may conveniently be mounted upon a suitable platform or supporting surface 16 which is intermediate the surface 18 upon which the disposal truck 10 is supported and the surface 20 upon which the collecting truck 12 is positioned for discharging its contents. It is also possible, however, as will be apparent from Figure 4, to mount the base 22 of the compactor unit upon a platform 24 whereby both the compactor unit and the dis posal truck may be positioned upon the same supporting surface, as at 26. In either event, it is intended that the discharge from the compactor unit shall be substantially at a constant elevation and into 'the disposal truck at preferably its rear end, as set forth hereinafter. The actual construction of the operating mechanism of the compactor unit may be substantially identical with that set forth in 'my copending application, Serial No.

- 507,886, and the same reference numerals are employed in the present application as are used to designatecorrespending parts in this copending application. Referring particularly to Figures 2 and 3, it will be seen that the compactor unit 14 includes a drum-like casing having a substantially cylindrical compressing chamber 32 therein into which opens an inlet means which includes a funnel 24, see Figures 1 and 4. The outlet means consists of an opening or discharge passage 34 which is at the upper portion of the compressing chamber of the cornpactor and which, as shown best in Figure 4, has an outwardly extending conduit portion 35 which is adapted to be received into the inlet or loading opening 37 in the rear end wall of the disposal truck 10. Thus, material, such as is indicated at 39 in Figure 4, may be discharged from the compacting unit into the truck and may be compressed therein by the forcible introduction of a continuing flow of such material until the disposal truck has its load sufficiently compacted therein.

It may be observed that the fit between the outlet means of the compactor unit and the inlet opening in the rear end of the disposal truck need not be air-tight since the bulk material handled by the device is usually of such size that when passed into the body of the disposal truck, there will be no tendency of the material to escape through the relatively small clearance between the sides of the body and of the inlet opening thereinto and the outlet means of the compactor unit. The compactor unit includes a shaft which is journaled in suitable journal bushings or bearings 51 which are formed in the end walls 53 of the casing 30. Disposed upon the shaft 50 within the compressing chamber 32 of the compactor unit are a plurality of substantially semicircular spaced plates 54, and which constitute compressor fingers of the rotatable element of the compactor. These fingers may be separated as by spacer collars or sleeves 56, and the sleeves and plates or fingers may be rigidly secured, as by a longitudinal key 57, to the shaft 50 which constitutes a rotatable member carrying the finger assembly.

There is likewise provided at the upper portion of the chamber 32 a transverse supporting shaft 58 to which are rigidly attached a plurality of fingers or blades 60. The assembly of fingers constitutes a gate which is mounted for vertical oscillation in the upper portion of the chamber and the outlet opening 34, these fingers or blades extending across the discharge passage or opening 34 at the upper end of the compactor. An operating cam in the form of a lever 62 is rigidly secured to the shaft or member 50 as by the above mentioned key 57 and is provided with antifriction means, such as a roller 64 at its outer end. The cam lever and roller cooperate with the cam surface 66 formed on one of the fingers whereby upon rotation of the cam lever 62, the finger having the cam surface 66 will be vertically oscillated as will be readily apparent from a comparison of Figures 2 and 4. Thus, the entire set of the gate fingers 6'6 which are interdigitated with the compressor fingers 54, as will be seen from Figure 3, will be elevated in a vertically oscillatory manner.

The operation of this mechanism will now be more readily apparent from Figures 6-9. As shown in Figure 6, a charge of loose bulk material, as indicated by the numeral 70, has been fed into the chamber 32 as from the hopper 24, or the hopper 102 of Figure 5, referred to hereinafter. At this time, the series of plates 54 which constitute the compressing elements of the compactor are positioned as shown in Figure 6, whereby they close together with the elevator fingers 60, the outlet or discharge opening 34. As the shaft 50 is rotated, the plates move to the position shown in Figure 7, thus opening the discharge opening 34 and moving the material 70 in a counter-clockwise direction through the chamber 32.

Continued movement, as shown in Figure 8, now lifts fingers 60, as will be apparent from Figure 3.

the material 70 to the upper portion of the chamber 32 and above and upon the outer or lower ends of the elevating fingers 60 in readiness for the further operation of Figure 9 in which the actuation of the cam lever 62 upon the cam surface 66 lifts the entire set of elevating fingers and through them, forces the compacting material upwardly through the discharge opening 34 into the truck or receptacle receiving the material. At the time of the position shown in Figure 9, it will be observed that the plates 54 have again closed the opening 34 from the interior of the chamber 32 and the latter is now prepared to receive a further charge of material from the hopper. Since the plates 54 have uncovered the inlet opening into the chamber, see Figure 4, the hopper 24 may communicate with the interior of the chamber.

in order to better prevent possible return of material after the same has been compacted into the body of the truck or the receptacle by the discharge of the material from the compactor unit, there is provided a gate assembly. The latter consists of a plurality of generally triangular plates or blades 74, rigidly connected together and mounted upon a pivot shaft 76. A stop rod or pin 78 carried by the blades is adapted to rest upon an upwardly extending projection 80 of 'the forward wall of the casing 30 of the compactor and thus limit downward pivoting movement of the gate member to the position shown in Figures 2, 6-8.

These plates 74 of the gate means are adapted to project into the discharge opening 34 and to overlie the elevating Thus, when the elevating fingers are lifted, as shown in Figure 9, their outer ends will lift the material 70 and cause the same to engage the plate 74 and thereby pivot the latter in a clockwise direction about their axis 76 and thus permit the elevator fingers to force the compacted material through the discharge opening. As soon as the elevator fingers have passed, gravity causes the gate means to drop back into its originalvposition, thereby obstructing return for the material through the discharge opening.

In order to operate the rotary element of the compactor unit, the shaft 50 is provided with a gear 5%) which is engaged by a gear 92 driven by an electric motor or the like 94. The latter may be mounted upon the base 22 whereby the driving means for the compactor is carried by the same as a complete unit.

In the form or" the invention thus far described, it will be noted that the unit receives loose material from the collecting trucks and discharges the compacted material into disposal trucks at different vertical elevations. How ever, in order to render the device more portable, and to enable the to accommodate itself to relatively diiferent elevations of discharge from collecting trucks and loading or disposal trucks, the somewhat modified construction of Figure 5 may be provided. In this form, the compactor unit 14 is mounted upon a mobile wheeled platform 1% whereby the same may be readily transported and positioned at a convenient place of use. As

tion of the outlet means of the compactor, and which is adapted to be received within the inlet opening 37 of a disposal truck 14? at a generally constant elevation, as setforth hereinbefore. However, in place of the fixed hopper 2 there is provided a vertically adjustable hopper 102 which is mounted for vertical pivoting movement about the axis of the shaft 50, whereby the hopper may be vertically adjusted from a lower position as shown in full lines in Figure 5 to an elevated position as shown in dotted lines therein. Thus, the hopper may be disposed at a convenient elevation for receiving material discharged by a collecting truck. In order to vertically adjust the hopper, there is provided any suitable adjusting means as a fluid pressure operated cylinder and piston assembly 184, pivoted as at 106 to a supporting bracket or lug 168 carried by the mobile base 109, and also in the preceding form, the casing of the compactor unit has a discharge conduit 35 or the like comprising a porpivoted as at 110 to the hopper itself. By operating the fluid pressure member 104, the hopper may be raised or lowered as desired.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A bulk material compressor comprising a body having a compressing chamber therein, inlet means and outlet means for respectively delivering loose material with and for discharging compacted material from said compressing chamber, said chamber having a compressing element therein continuously rotating about an axis and a wall portion extending from said inlet to said outlet and closely adjacent to said element whereby the latter may convey loose material from said inlet towards said outlet, a material compacting element in said chamber mounted for pivotal movement about an axis displaced from that of said compressing element and having a path of movement intersecting that of said compressing element and receiving material from the latter and compacting it while conveying it to and discharging it from said outlet, said compressing element and said compacting element each including blades disposed in side-by-side relation spaced axially of their axes of movement, the blades of said elements being interdigitated whereby they will pass between each other at the intersection of their paths of movement to thereby transfer material from said compressing element to said compacting element, means connecting said compacting element to said compressing element for intermittent pivotal movement of the former by the latter, said connecting means comprising a cam member secured to said compressing element and rotatable therewith and a follower member engaging and actuated by said cam member and secured to said compacting element for imparting movement to the latter by the former.

2. A bulk material compressor comprising a body having a compressing chamber therein, inlet means and outlet means for respectively delivering loose material with and for discharging compacted material from said compressing chamber, first and second material moving elements mounted in said chamber for turning movement about spaced axes disposed in side-by-side relation and movable through paths which intersect, means for imparting motion to said material moving elements in timed relation whereby said first element will receive material from said inlet and transport it towards said outlet and said second element will receive material from said first element at the intersection of said paths of travel and convey it to and discharge it from said outlet, said elements each including a set of blades disposed in side-by-side relation and spaced axially of their axes of movement, the sets of blades being interdigitated and passing between each other at the intersection of their paths of movement whereby to effect transfer of material from the first element and the second element, 'means interconnecting said elements whereby the first element will impart intermittent movement to the second element, said interconnecting means comprising a cam member secured to the first element and a follower member engaging said cam member and secured to the second element.

'3. A bulk material compressor comprising a body having a compressing chamber therein, inlet means and outlet means for respectively delivering loose material with and for discharging compacted material from said compressing chamber, said chamber having a compressing element therein continuously rotating about an axis and a wall portion extending from said inlet to said outlet and closely adjacent to said element whereby the latter may convey loose material from said inlet towards said outlet, a material compacting element in said chamber mounted for pivotal movement about an axis displaced from that of said compressing element and having a path of movement intersecting that of said compressing element and receiving material from the latter and compacting it while conveying it to and discharging it from said outlet, said compressing element and said compacting element each including blades disposed in side-by-side relation spaced axially of their axes of movement, the blades of said elements being interdigitated whereby they will pass between each other at the intersection of their paths of movement to thereby transfer material from said compressing element to said compacting element, a non-return gate comprising a set of blades disposed in side-by-side relation and mounted in said outlet means and pivoted for swinging movement about an axis parallel to that about which the compacting element moves, said gate blades and compacting element blades being interdigitated for passage through each other, means limiting swinging of said gate into said outlet whereby to prevent back flow of material through said outlet.

4. A bulk material compressor comprising a body having a compressing chamber therein, inlet means and outlet means for respectively delivering loose material with and for discharging compacted material from said com-pressing chamber, first and second material moving elements mounted in said chamber for turning movement about spaced axes disposed in side-by-side relation and movable through paths which intersect, means for imparting motion to said material moving elements in timed relation whereby said first element will receive material from said inlet and transport it towards said outlet and said second element will receive material from said first element at the intersection of said paths of travel and convey it to and discharge it from said outlet, said elements each including a set of blades disposed in side-by-side relation and spaced axially of their axes of movement, the sets of blades being interdigitated and passing between each other at the intersection of their paths of movement whereby to effect transfer of material from the first element and the second element, a non-return gate comprising a set of blades disposed in side-by-side relation and mounted in said outlet means and pivoted for swinging movementabout an axis parallel to that about which said second element moves, said gate blades and second element blades being interdigitated for passage through each other, means limiting swinging of said gate into said outlet whereby to prevent back flow of material through said outlet.

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